HUNTSVILLE, Alabama - A scouting report for the week, with a drawing on the cover and a kaleidoscope of X's and O's tumbling about inside, sits on a stack of other paperwork on the corner of Brawnski Towns' desk in the Alabama A&M football offices.

There is wisdom and insight and many hours of work in the scouting report. There is also great simplicity in it as the Bulldogs (2-5) prepare to face Alabama State (6-1) in the Magic City Classic (Saturday, 2:30 at Legion Field).

Stop. The. Run.

Alabama State averages 272 yards per game on the ground. It's rushed the ball 343 times and thrown just 201 passes. The passing game might be further limited as starting quarterback Daniel Duhart has been dealing with a bad back. The Hornets' Isaiah Crowell, who transferred from Georgia after a star-crossed tenure there, is averaging 116.3 yards per game, with 16 carries a game.

"They line up and they're coming at you," said Towns, the Bulldogs' veteran defensive coordinator who is going into his 39th Magic City Classic as either an A&M player or assistant coach.

"We've got to prepare to stop the run. If they pass for 400 yards and beat us lefthanded, they deserve the win," he said.

"They're a very good football team offensively, very explosive," said head coach Anthony Jones. "A powerful offense, great running backs and the quarterbacks are doing good things. They've got real good personnel throughout at all levels."

From a scheme standpoint, there are many teams more difficult to prepare for, those that might be a whole variety pack of plays. Alabama State is a team that executes well and has superb talent, utilized with efficiency.

"With Crowell back there and with a young quarterback they should be trying to establish the running game and they're doing a good job at that," Towns said. "They're running the ball more to set up the pass."

An SEC-caliber back - Crowell was SEC Freshman of the Year in 2011 before two felony weapons arrests led to his dismissal at Georgia - is an obvious challenge for a defense. However, a more experience A&M defense held him to 60 yards on 17 carries last season.

"He does a good job hitting and pounding and keeping his legs moving," Towns said. "And then he's going to try to break some tackles and get away. We've got to do a good job of gang-tackling him at the point of attack. Don't give him a way out or he'll take a way out."

The Bulldogs have been plagued by some defensive mistakes that were a combination of fatigue - the offense has converted only 31 percent of third downs, keeping the defense on the field too much - and poor judgment.

"We've missed a lot of tackles last three games that really hurt us, being in position and not making the play," Towns said. To remedy that, the Bulldogs have been spending time in practice on fundamental tackling drills nearly every day, stressing "the importance of getting the man down," Towns said.

Getting the Hornets down, not figuring out what the Hornets might do, will be the trick in this Magic City Classic.